Device for the regulation of the draft in funnels



R. GULLNER- 2,056,573

DEVICE FOR THE REGULATION OF THE DRAFT IN FUNNELS Filed April 21,.1934

Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNITED STATES PATET OFIQE DEVICE FOR, THE REGULATION OF THE DRAFT IN FUNNELS Richard Giillner, Burg, near Magdeburg, Germany 2 Claims.

This invention has for its object a device for obtaining a uniform draft in funnels, wherein two superposed rotating fans or rotors having each three blades are caused to rotate in opposite directions by the exhaust vapour and the smoke.

According to the present invention the principal support for the shafts of the above mentioned fans or rotors is placed above the propellers. The arrangement is made in such a way that the main bearing is placed in part above the upper border of the funnel, whereby the natural cooling of the elements is assured by the atmosphere. But as the two pairs of fans or rotors must be comparatively distant from each other in order to produce a uniform swirl of air between the fans or rotors and as the fans or rotors rotate at high speeds, there results a heavy stress on the upper bearing on account of the comparatively great length of the shaft on which is mounted the lower fan or rotor. In order to over-come this disadvantage an additional bearing and support for the shaft are provided and disposed adjacent the lower fan or rotor.

When this device is employed with a locomotive for the purpose of obtaining uniform draft, in which it is important to prevent flying sparks, it is important to make the cross-section of the exhaust pipe of the steam from the cylinders bear a certain relation in size to the dimensions of the fans or rotors. For this purpose, therefore, the end of the exhaust pipe which is located below the fans or rotors is narrowed by the mounting of rings therein of such a conformation that the gases after passing through a. certain minimum section are permitted to expand once again.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the assembly of fans or rotors;

Figure 2 is a vertical section on a reduced scale of the exhaust pipe of a locomotive.

With further reference to the drawing in which like reference characters have been used throughout to designate like parts, 1 indicates a hollow casing which is suitably supported by means 2i centrally of a locomotive smokestack 2i) and adjacent the upper end thereof,-in fact it is to be noted that the upper part of the casing extends above the upper rim of the stack so that the casing may be cooled by air outside the stack. A ball bearing assembly 8 is carried in the upper portion of the casing l and said assembly carries a vertical and axially bored shaft 2 which extends through the casing l and downwardly in the stack 20. A second ball bearing assembly 9 is carried by the shaft 2 adjacent the lower end thereof and.

this assembly is enclosed by a housing i I to which are connected any suitable mounting means such as rod l.'3,-for rigidly mounting the housing ll together with the lower end of the shaft 2 axially of the smoke stack 20. A three bladed fan I is mounted in any suitable manner on the lower end of the shaft l and is adapted to be rotated in one direction by the exhaust.

A second three bladed fan 3 adapted for rotation in a direction opposite to that of the fan i is mounted on a hollow shaft 4 which is rotatably mounted by upper and lower ball bearing assemblies ii and 6 which are housed in the lower part of the casing l.

A protective tube [2 is connected to the housing H and extends upwardly around the shaft.

2 and the lower end of the hollow shaft 4. The housing H serves to prevent the spreading and escape of the high temperature resisting oil which is used to lubricate the device. Such lubricant is supplied to the various bearings through a vent H3 in the cover I311 of the casing I. As will be apparent from Fig. 1, the lower bearing assembly 9 receives oil through the axial bore M of the shaft 2 while the remaining bearings are lubricated by a portion of the lubricant that flows downwardly through the bearing assemblies 8, 6, and 5 respectively. In this way, all of the bearings are uniformly and reliably lubricated.

In the orifice of the exhaust pipe [5 the ring it is inserted for the purpose of increasing the outlet velocity; through this ring the exhaust steam of the locomotive flows at the most desirable speed so that between the two oppositely rotating fans or rotors there is, as it were, a uniform cushion of the gasiform medium which prevents sparks from flying out and by means of which it is also possible to keep a uniform pressure and also one having a value most favorable to the proper operation of the draft in the exhaust pipe.

Having now particularly described and shown the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be used, I claim:

1. A vertical shaft and bearing assembly comprising a fixed hollow casing provided with a plurality of vertically spaced sets of bearings, a hollow shaft extending axially through the lower end of said casing and rotatably suspended in said bearings, a second shaft concentric with the first named and extending axially therethrough beyond each end of said first shaft, 2. bearing seated on the top of said casing and rotatably suspending said second shaft through and below the casing, a fixed support below said casing, a bearing in said fixed support for the lower portion of said second shaft, a hub on said first shaft below said casing, and a hub on said second shaft below said fixed support.

2. A vertical shaft and bearing assembly comprising a hollow casing and an axially bored support fixedly mounted in vertically spaced alignment, a bearing seated on the casing top, a hearing in the bore of said support, a vertical shaft journalled in said bearings, a hollow shaft surrounding a portion of said first shaft in concentric spaced relation, spaced bearings mounted within said casing and supporting said hollow shaft, a

hub on said hollow shaft immediately beneath 5 said casing, and a hub on said first named shaft below said support.

RICHARD GijLLNER. 

